Edmund Lewis (1601-1650)
}} Biography "On April 10, 1634, Edmund Lewis, aged 33 years, his wife Mary, aged 32, son John, aged 3, and son Thomas, aged 3/4 years, embarked in the Elizabeth, William Andrews master, at Ipswich, England. He settled at Watertown, Mass., and shared in the first great division of lands. 1634 Voyage of Elizabeth He was a passenger on the 1st Voyage of the English ship [[Elizabeth 1634 voyage| Elizabeth]], which sailed from Ipswich in April, 1634, bound for New England. The ship arrived safe at Massachusetts Bay. Passenger list information was transcribed in the 19th century by Michael Tepper from records found in London, the Public Rolls Office, formerly at Carleton Ride. Note the ship sailed in April 1634, but the passeger listed is dated six months later to November 1634. Do not confuse this list with the second voyage of the Elizabeth made in 1635. Watertown Founders Monument He is listed on Watertown Founders Monument, commemorating the first settlers of Watertown, Massachusetts. The town was first known as Saltonstall Plantation, one of the earliest of the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlements. Founded in early 1630 by a group of settlers led by Richard Saltonstall and George Phillips, it was officially incorporated that same year. The alternate spelling "Waterton" is seen in some early documents. His homestead was on what is now the east side of Lexington Street. He was granted land July 25, 1636, lot 26, 30 acres in the 1st division; Feb. 28, 1636-7, lot 82, 5 acres' June 16, 1637, lot 61, 5 acres; April 9. 1638. 6 acres. In the book of possessions he held in lands: (1) A Homestall of 6 acres. (2) One acre of meadow in Rockmeddow. (3) Thirty acres of upland being a great Divident in the 1st Division, the 25th Lott. (4) Five acres of Plowland in the further Plaine and the 91 Lott. (5) Five acres of meddow in the remote meddows & the 61 lott. (6) A farme of hundred acres of upland. (7) One acre of remote meddow be estimation. He was admitted a freeman May 24, 1636, and was elected a selectman for the year 1638. Oct. 14, 1638, he was one of a committee chosen 'To lay out the farmes as they were ordered, near the Dedham line'. (Barker's Watertown, p. 4) Alonzo Lewis' History of Lynn says he removed to Lynn in 1639. Bond's Gennealogies of Watertown says he removed after 1642. He buried a child there Nov. 6, 1642; Savage says 1643. He had lived near the sea, and when he removed to Lynn he settled in the eastern part of the town, on what is now Lewis street. He died in January, 1650. His wife died Sept. 7, 1658. Marriage and Family # John Lewis (1631-) - born in England or Wales / sailed in 1634 on Elizabeth # Thomas Lewis (1633-) - born in England or Wales / sailed in 1634 on Elizabeth # Nathaniel Lewis (1639-1683) - born in Mass. # Baby Lewis (1642-1642) # Baby Lewis (1643-1643) # Jonathan Lewis (1658-1708) Vital Records Last Will In his will, made the 13, 11th month, 1650, he mentions five young children. The date of birth of two of them is not recorded, and the name of one of them is not known. His will, on file in Essex County Probate Records, Vol. 1, f. 119 is as follows: 'Line the 13th of the 11th mo. 1650. Memorandum that I Edmund Lewis being Sick & Weake, but of perfect remembrance, doe make and conferm this my last Will and testyment as followeth. First, My Will is that my land att Watertown shall be soaled, & that my eldest son John Lewis shall have a double portyon & the rest of my children namely, the five youngest to have every one of them a licke portyon of my Estate. Secondly. My deare & lovinge wife to have a third of my whole Estate. Thirdly. I desire that my wife may have a cow over & above towards bringinge upe of my youngest children. Fourthly. -my desire is my wife to be my whole executor to dispose of my body & goods accordinge to my Will. Fifthly. -my request to my son John is, to give his mother a Cow to helpe her towards the bringinge up of my youngest children. Sixthly. -my request to my son Thomas Lewis is to give his mother half of his Sheepe to help her as aforesaid. Seventhly. -My desire and meaninge is that the Cow I ask of John & the Sheepe I ask of Thomas is of them that they now have in their possession. Also my request is to Thomas Hastings to be my supervisor to assist my lovinge wife. Edmund X Lewis (used a mark, not signed) Witnesses John Deakin, Edward Burcham.' Estate Inventory This will, with an inventory, was brought into court by Mary, widow of Edmund Lewis, on the 25th, 12 mo, 1650-1651, and Edward Burcham swore to the truth of it, and the Court ordered 'that the children shall have their several portyons paid them at the age of twentie & one years.' 'The Inventory of the goods of Edmund Lewis of Line laite deceased, tacken by us whose names are heare under subscribed this 12th mo 1650-1. Imprimis: One payer of Oxen, 13 00 0 one payer of Oxen, 14 00 0 foure working steares, 24 00 0 one two yeare oulde heffer, 3 00 0 six shots at 3 00 0 one heffer at 3 00 0 two milch kine & a calfe, 9 00 0 three yearlings, 5 00 0 fouer wether sheepe, 2 16 0 fouer ewe sheepe, 6 00 0 three lames of this yeare, 1 06 0 hay L2,10s, too little harrowes 10s, 3 00 0 one plow with coulter & share, 0 06 0 one cheane, 0 02 6 one payer of old wheles, 0 10 0 A cart & draughts, 1 00 0 The Waine, 1 10 0 An old plow, 0 02 6 too yockes, 0 06 0 one bede with furniter, 3 03 0 one bede with furnituer, 1 01 0 Purse & aparell, 2 00 0 Five pilar coverings & five napkins, 0 13 6 A table cloth, 0 02 0 A bedsteade, 0 05 0 A chiste, 0 03 4 Three wheeles & too littell chayers, 0 10 0 In yaren, flaxe & wooll, 1 17 0 In wheate 10 bushells, 2 10 0 In oats L5 7s a fan 3s 4d, 1 10 4 too sithes & fouer hooks, 0 09 0 three score bushells of Indyan Coren, 9 00 0 A sword belte & bandeleres, 0 12 0 too muskets & too rests, 1 16 0 A foulinge pece, 1 06 0 too small gunes, 0 16 0 A Cettell & too iern pots, 0 14 8 A gird ieren & a ieren Kettell & a ould posnett, 0 06 0 Peuter 10s A frying pan & a hooke, 7s, 0 17 0 too trayes & a meale sive & other lumber, 0 11 0 three axes, too wedges & a drawing knife, three augers and a handsaw, 0 11 8 too drink barrels, 0 03 0 A bibell 8s A pece of lether, 6s, 0 14 0 a churn, a bottell & a little tube, 0 05 0 too tubes, a brake & a crackell, 0 07 0 Total 122 07 6 John Deakin James Arry Edward Burcham William X Tilton Appraiser' Edmund Lewis, of Lynn, Massachusetts: and some of his descendants By George Harlan Lewis Research Notes Edmond Lewes’ Ancestry Edmond Lewes’s origins, his parents and ancestors, his birthplace, even his wife’s maiden name and his life before 1630 are obscured by incomplete records and published speculation by genealogists and historians. Our Lewis line is alleged to have come from Wales, according to family oral history but there is no documentation to support this claim. No Proven Birth in Wales There is no evidence that Edmond Lewes of Lynn, Massachusetts was the son of George Lewis and Catherine Matthew of Llystalybont, Glamorgan, Wales. This claim was made in the book Lewis Families of Wale and America by Edward Simmons Lewis in 1928. The author did not present any evidence to document that the Edmund Lewis of Wales was the same as the Edmond Lewes who boarded the ship Elizabeth in Ipswich, Suffolk, England and sailed to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634." "There are many Lewes and Lewis families in and around Ipswich, Suffolk, England in the early 17th Century, so there is no reason to look to Wales for Edmond Lewes' origin." "There is no evidence that Edmond Lewes married Mary Carew. This is an undocumented entry in FamilySearch.org. In fact, we do not know the surname of Edmond Lewes's wife." "Edmond and Mary's oldest son John did not marry Mary Button. That was John Lewis of Westerly, Rhode Island. Edmond's son John married Hannah Marshall, Elizabeth Walker and Sarah Merriam and lived in Lynn, Massachusetts until his death in 1710." * See also Searching for Edmund Lewis - Lewis Family Genealogy Blog - 2007 References * Edmund Lewis of Lynn MA - GENI Category:Year of death uncertain